Tinsel and Cookies
by ashinourhearts
Summary: Stiles goes to Derek's place to invite him over for a special holiday event at his house. Only to be completely floored by what he discovers once he gets to his mate's house. Innocent and fluffy Sterek. Derek/Stiles.


Tripping over his own feet in utter but typical anticipation, Stiles scrambled out of his pathetically-battered Jeep in front of the renovated Hale manor and all but slipped with his snow covered shoes as he barged through the front door. He inwardly and fleetingly noticed his lack of knocking but didn't think much of it since that was more than customary as he chaotically threw his coat off of his lean frame and flung it onto a small arm chair. An involuntary shiver coursed through him as the invited warmth of the fireplace in the living room licked at the very minimal exposed skin of his body. Halting dead in his tracks, Stiles watched with unabashed astonishment as the flicker and crackle of flames danced across the few stumpy logs neatly placed in the large fireplace. He blinked repeatedly, assuring himself that his eyes weren't deceiving him when he was abruptly startled out of place by a deep voice.

"Stiles, are you okay?" Derek inquired, his voice laced with a hint of worry as he neared the human. "Why is your heart racing?"

Stiles pivoted on his heel and the sight of his mate nearly knocked the breath right out of him. He never got tired of memorizing every inch of Derek - the silky disheveled black hair atop his head, the deep-set emerald eyes beneath a dark, full brow, and although not present at the moment, even his signature scowl surrounded by the prickly stubble coating the lower half of his face. And then there was the steel body of a God obviously.

"When is my heart NOT racing?' he joked breathlessly before softening his expression and stepping closer to his alpha to take one of his hands in his. "But more importantly, you set a fire, Derek..."

"I did. You were right." Derek murmured, his eyes flitting around the entire room and down at their interlocked fingers before glancing back up to gaze at Stiles. "When you told me a few days ago that I had to let go of what happened in my past in order to move on, I realized that I just refused to accept that I hadn't moved on. I have to slowly let go of the...the _fear_ that I had of what killed my family. That's what it was, Stiles. I was terrified."

Stiles gazed back at him fondly before bringing Derek's fist up to his lips to place a soft kiss against his knuckles, "I knew you could do it." he replied as he lowered their hands, "I love you, Sourwolf."

The signature scowl that Stiles grew to know and love etched its way upon Derek's face at the mention of the aggravating nickname. Chuckling under his breath, Stiles leaned in to press his lips to the older man's gently but confidently, making Derek's wolf whine in bliss. Two strong arms wrapped around Stiles' waist as he slipped his tongue past Derek's parted lips and deepened the kiss significantly. A deep moan escaped Derek's chest before forcing himself to pull away in order lean his forehead against the human's, humming happily at their comfortable proximity. "Love you too."

"I know," Stiles smirked in response, unraveling himself from Derek's grip."So, what were you doing before I got here?"

Derek wrinkled his nose in frustration, which just made Stiles become putty in his shoes at the adorableness. "IwasputtingupChristmaslights."

Stiles fully backed away from him in order to assess his expression, craning his neck forward slightly. "You what? I didn't catch that."

The alpha grimaced and huffed in frustration, "I was putting up lights in the hallway and kitchen. For Christmas. Lydia's practically forcing me, she was _screeching_ when she walked in here yesterday, Stiles!"

Stiles blinked at his boyfriend for what felt like an eternity before bursting out in a fit of giggles, doubling over to clutch onto his aching sides. "D-did" _hiccup, "_you say you were _decorating_!? Oh my _God_."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and there was that scowl once again. "Yes. Why is that so hard to believe anyway?"

"Uh, because you hate anything festive or celebratory in your presence, like, ever?" Stiles deadpanned, staring at him as if it was the most obvious thing he'd ever said.

"Fine, fair enough."

"Come on, Der," Stiles chuckled, shaking his head in incredulity before seizing his hand in his once more and practically dragging him in the direction of the kitchen. "Let's take a look at the mess you've created."

Much to his aggravation, Derek followed after his mate, who he had to tighten his grip on to prevent him from slipping on the trail of snow, well now water, that his shoes trailed in from outside. Stiles abruptly halted in his tracks once they reached the kitchen counter and Derek had to steady him by releasing his hand and resting it on his lower back. Gaping at the multicolored lights faultlessly adorning the tops of the cabinets with tinsel weaving immaculately in between them, the mistletoe dangling from the roof, and a relatively small yet humble wreath tacked onto the refrigerator door, Stiles was rendered speechless...which was usually close to impossible. Derek glanced over at him through his peripheral, assessing his reaction in confusion. "Is it really that awful?"

Stiles blinked and snapped his dropped jaw shut as his eyes continued to flicker over dissimilar sections of the quaint room. "Derek, it's _beautiful_. How did you...? I mean, I would've never thought.." he swiveled on his heel to face the alpha and smack him on the arm in one swift motion. "Why didn't you ever tell me you had the gift of interior designing with Christmas decorations!? Not even I, who adores the holidays if I might add, ever gets things to look just right."

Derek crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged nonchalantly. "I used to watch my mom decorate around the house for almost every holiday while growing up. I guess I managed to remember some of the ways she would do it."

"_Some_? So there's more that you knew at one point? Look at you, Mr. Big Bad Alpha." Stiles snorted, before softening his expression to gaze at him fondly. "It looks wonderful."

"Thanks." Derek mumbled with a shrug. The corner of his lip twitching slightly as felt the tips of his ears heat up considerably.

Stiles openly beamed at him before lifting his arm to slide his hand up the nape of his neck and pull him into a heated kiss. Derek inhaled a sharp breath through his nose, abnormally and momentarily stunned by his mate's sudden fervor. He regained movement in his limbs and curled his fingers into the pockets of Stiles' thin red hoodie that he loved so much and pulled him flush against his excessively warm body. Derek loved being close to Stiles this way, not only kissing and _being_ kissed so overpoweringly, but being able to know what it does to the human. It's an arrangement of symphonies to Derek's ears being able to pick up on the beat of Stiles' heart kick-starting into overdrive, feeling the slight tremors of anticipation arbitrarily coursing through him, and the heady scent of his arousal that drives Derek absolutely insane.

Derek's wolf howled in desire as his tongue slipped past Stiles' lips and danced languidly with his. The moment he pulled Stiles' jean clad hips into his, the human drew away shakily. A whimper literally escaped Derek's chest at the loss of contact and he snapped his eyes open to sulk at Stiles. "Where are you going? I thought we were going to go upstairs...isn't that why you came over?"

Stiles took a deep breath, clearly composing himself before speaking. "You mean, where are _we_ going. We're going back to my place. And I'm actually offended that you think I would come over just to get my hands, among other parts of me, all over you."

Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest and quirked an eyebrow at the human, his expression depicting nothing but the word, _'seriously_?'

"Okay, maybe I would come over because I was horny but that's not the point. I love being with you even if we're not having sex and if you thin-" Stiles was going off on a tangent at a ludicrous pace while flailing his arms around hazardously between them. But that was only until Derek cut him off by placing a firm but chaste kiss against his lips midsentence.

"Shut up," Derek said with a smile and a slight shake of his head after taking a step back to gaze at Stiles. "I know you do, calm down. Now, why are we going to your house?"

Stiles was still recovering from Derek's interruption so it took him a few seconds to respond as he focused on lowering the amount of blood rushing up to his neck and cheeks. "I.. Uh, I mean the pack's having Christmas Eve dinner at my place this year so you're invited, obviously. I know it's totally last minute which is actually the reason I swung by today, apart from wanting to see you. Oh, and I asked Isaac to bake you over a dozen cookies, cause I know how much you love them."

Derek was unequivocally floored by the last minute plans, being that he hadn't celebrated a Christmas since his parents had been alive in that very home. A flutter of anxiety circuited through him but as he watched the animated emotions flickering over his mate's face, he knew he couldn't say no. He was his mate. He was already family to him - Stiles had wormed his loving, hyperactive self through Derek's meticulously built front and assembled a family of reckless teenagers in his heart. Smiling at Stiles softly, he nodded in assent. "Let's go, little red."

Stiles' frame was practically vibrating in excitement as he grasped Derek's hand in his and dragged him towards the front door all the while snagging his coat on that had been thrown by the front of the house. Bounding down the slick porch steps, Stiles hopped onto the snow-fluffed ground and held his hand out to Derek, waiting for him to take it in his again.

Derek laced his fingers amid the already chilled and longer fingers of his mate, knowing that this would be one of the greatest ways he had ever spent the holidays.


End file.
